The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) welcomes the Federal Government’s plans to suspend any further expansion of the GP Super Clinics program, detailed in media reports yesterday.
The $650 million GP Super Clinic program was implemented by the previous Government as a strategy to build a stronger primary healthcare system, with the announcement yesterday set to re-coup some of the costs of the controversial program.
The revoked funding, allocated for the development of Super Clinics in Darwin, Rockingham and Brisbane is set to save the Government around $25 million.
RACGP President, Dr Liz Marles said any cost savings derived from halting the program must be re-invested into the Primary Care Infrastructure Grants program.
“Since the announcement of the GP Super Clinic program, the RACGP has long advocated for the re-direction of those funds to invest in general practice infrastructure.
“The Government now has a chance to take some of those previously allocated funds and make a real investment into building a well-equipped general practice profession.
“Additional infrastructure for general practice is essential if increases in general practice teams and the capacity of GPs to teach the next generation of health practitioners is to be achieved.
“At a time when building the general practice workforce is critical to the health of all Australians and the sustainability of the profession, supporting general practice must remain a Government priority,” said Dr Marles.
One of the objectives of the GP Super Clinic program was to service areas where patients had poor access to GPs and fill healthcare gaps within these communities.
“In reality, some of the GP Super Clinics were built in communities where they actually competed with successful long-established general practices.
“The Government has acknowledged this program has “harmed general practice” and its commitment to bringing this program to an end is welcome,” said Dr Marles.